


No Longer Yours - Rin's Choice

by blind2reality



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:49:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 22,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23690353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blind2reality/pseuds/blind2reality
Summary: Her beaten body slammed into the wall. “Why?” She only grinned with blood dripping from her jaw, “Because I am not your property anymore.”
Relationships: Rin/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 59





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Before delving into this story, there are two things that must be clarified.  
> First and Foremost: Though the main couple of the tale is Sesshomaru x Rin, this will not take place until she is of an acceptable age for marriage. There will be no romantic interaction between the two until she is no longer considered a child.  
> Second: This is a slight AU in that it takes place within a year of the defeat of Naraku. Assumed ages are below.  
> Sesshomaru = 20  
> Rin = 10  
> Inuyasha = 16  
> Kagome = 16  
> Miroku = 20  
> Sango = 18  
> Kohaku = 12  
> Shippo = 8  
> Kaede = 58  
> Enjoy!  
> ~ Blind2Reality  
> \----------

“A-Un,” his voice no more than a whisper, “Land.”

The creature slowly descended into a forest clearing. From its back, the kappa demon and the human child climbed down, both slightly shaken from the speed of their travels. Immediately Rin began to scour the area for running water. The past few years taught her many techniques about the land. Wherever water flowed, there would be food and trees large enough to provide shelter. But most important of all, there would be flowers, beautiful flowers to brighten any dreary day.

\----

“Sesshomaru-sama! Look at what Rin made you!” She placed a crown of knotted lilies upon his head, “They make you look so pretty!” her innocent smile continued to shine brightly despite the moonless night. The man gave no response, nor did he remove the crown.

“Jaken, find food for you and Rin.”

“Yes, Sesshomaru-sama, right away your lordship!” The small creature scurried off deep into the woods though his complaints about the night’s array of bugs could still be heard by his companions.

“Oh Jaken-sama,” the girl giggled, “Sesshomaru-sama, would you like if Rin also went to search for food?”

“If you so wish,” the demon closed his eyes subtly indicating that all conversations were to be halted for the night.

\-----

The child walked through the dark forest with ease, taking care to avoid any stray branches or brambles. Rin couldn’t help but smile as thoughts of eating with her companions filled her mind. Soon she found her way into a new clearing illuminated by dozens of fireflies with blooming flowers stretching far beyond what Rin could see. It was inviting her and the child greedly accepted. She ran further into the clearing until she could run no more. The girl giggled cheerfully as she took in the beauty of the flowers, many of their petals glistening with just a touch of dew.

However, soon her gleaming smile faded into tears, ones that refused to stop. Rin’s body began to shake violently causing her to fall to the ground. Wreathing in pain, she cried out, only there was no sound. Slowly the field around her began to melt into darkness, a cold pitch black void. That’s when she felt it, slippery scales creeping up and tightening around her legs. Rin’s eyes became wide as she realized she had fallen into a demon’s trap; the beauty that surrounded her only moments before was all an illusion to lure her in. Again she tried to scream, but the demon’s body only grew tighter. It was just enough torture, but not enough to kill.

“Silly girl, even if I let you, who would you scream for? You are alone,” the body slowly continued to constrict around her, “Be a good child and accept your fate.”

By now Rin was gasping and feeling faint, almost all air had left her lungs. Through one final attempt she managed a pained piercing cry, “S...Se...Sessho”

“Sessho? Who is that, you little pe-”, suddenly the demon’s head rolled to the ground. As the body fell, Sesshomaru whisked Rin away. The way he held her in arms exuded worry but his eyes only showed rage.

\-----

She was still in his arms when Rin finally came to and the color returned to her cheeks. Once able to stand on her own, she immediately dropped to the ground sobbing, repeating over and over, “Rin sorry.”

“Petty human, stop your crying!” Unlike his lord, Jaken’s actions showed anger but his face was a picture of nothing but worry turned relief.

Rin sulked over to the campfire where she warmed her hands and dried her tears. There she found a roasted fish that had been left aside for her. It was ice cold but she ate it with her usual smile because, no matter what happened, Rin still had her family.

\-----

The night almost passed like any other: Sesshomaru sitting slightly away from the group with his eyes closed and Jaken leaning against a tree barely able to keep awake. It was Rin who threw things off. Instead of curled up next to the fire against A-Un, she sat beside Jaken with eyes wide awake and overly alert.

“Jaken-sama?” Her whisper broke through the silence, “Could Rin ask you something?”

He cocked his head, eyes still closed, “You will no matter what I answer you.”

“Is Rin a burden on you and Sesshomaru-sama?”

“Of course you are. You’re nothing but a weak human that falls for even the lowliest of demon’s tricks.”

Rin choked back tears before continuing, “Then Rin wishes to learn how to be stronger. Strong like you and Sesshomaru-sama,” her eyes suddenly filled with passion, “Rin wants to know how to fight. Rin does not want to be a burden upon Sesshomaru-sama any longer.”

“The lack of sleep from today must have finally gotten to you. No one could ever be powerful like Sesshomaru-sama! Especially not a human. Why would such nonsense even grace your mind!”

The girl got up to go back to A-Un, the fire of passion still bright in her eyes, “Rin means it, Jaken-sama. Rin wants to be able help Sesshomaru-sama.”

Jaken opened his eyes to form a glare, “You speak as if he needs it,” the demon seethed; however, the child was already gone.

\----------


	2. Alone

**Alone**

The kappa rubbed his hands nervously. His heart - no matter how cold it was - told him to not reveal what the child had told him. However, his loyalty to Sesshomaru would ultimately take over. Despite this, he tried to continue weighing his options as his mind was still being genuinely torn between the two.

“Either speak or leave my presence,” the demon did not bother to open his eyes to look at Jaken.

“Ah! Sorry Sesshomaru-sama,” the small demon stuttered out before taking a deep breath, “I would like to tell his Lord-ship of something.”

The great demon raised one eyebrow, signaling that his ward was allowed to continue. However, before resuming, Jaken looked at the sleeping child by the dwindling fire. Her stomach rose and fell slowly; she was sound asleep. The possibility of her companions’ whispers being heard were slim to none.

“It is about Rin, Sesshomaru-sama.”

The demon opened his eyes to briefly linger on the girl, “Does something ail her?”

“No, sire,” the kappa quickly shook his head to assure Sesshomaru that that was not the cause at all of his distress.

Upon seeing his lord’s glare, he continued, “She seems to want the impossible my Lord.”

“Rin always has, Jaken. You are wasting this Sesshomaru’s time.”

“But this request is far different from before. It seems she no longer wishes to have a forest filled with millions of flowers that always bloom,” Jaken prepared himself to continue, trying to hide his fear from what he was about to say.

“Instead, your greatness, she has asked to become stronger. She wishes to become like you, Sesshomaru-sama. She desires your strength. The fire in her eyes confirms this...and the way she spoke was unnatural for a human, let alone for herself. Instead, it was almost like that of a demon…” his voice trailed off as his lord’s eyes narrowed.

Sesshomaru dismissed Jaken from his sight and began to ponder what his ward had said. Though he would never admit it, he knew much about Rin; enough to know what would be right for her. That child was not one to give up in any situation, not when he first met her nor earlier this very night. Her time with him had harded her, slowly destroying her human nature. Sesshomaru had known of this long before Jaken had said anything, but the kappa’s words fully confirmed what the demon feared deep down. He closed his eyes in pain, though to anyone else, it would look no different than how he normally did. Sesshomaru came to a decision on how to remedy it all. In the end, her safety was more important than anything else - especially the feelings of care that he was plagued with.

**\-----**

“Is this really the best for her?” The old woman looked as the child ran around enjoying the late afternoon’s sun.

The man gave a brief nod as he too looked at the girl, taking the utmost care to show no emotion,”She needs to learn how to live with humans. Living with demons has changed her.”

“And who is to say that is not for the better, Sesshomaru?” Kaede grasped his hand, much to his dislike, “Leaving Rin will destroy her.”

“This Sesshomaru has made this decision and it is final,” He shook her off and swiftly turned on his heel in the direction of forest.

“Are ye really going to leave her without a goodbye?” Kaede tried to call after the demon but he was already gone; no trace of him left behind save for the child.

**\-----**

Soon Rin came running from the garden, yet another flower crown within her grasp. She asked where her lord was, wanting to bestow the gift upon him. The elderly woman only lowered her head. It took only a matter of moments for the nine-year-old to realize he had left without her. No goodbye. No reason given. He simply walked out of her life as if their time together did not matter. Rin fell to the ground as she burst into tears. Kaede tried to comfort the child; however, her wailing only became louder.

It was not until nightfall that she finally stopped, slowly walking into the old woman’s hut. On the table there was a small dish of food waiting for her. However, when Rin took the first bite, she began to cry once more. It was cold. Just like the last dinner she had had with Sesshomaru. Just like his heart must be to have just left her behind. The girl quickly shook the last thought out of her head, as if to make it untrue. She refused to believe that her guardian would abandon her without reason. Perhaps it was because of the previous night; and, if it wasn’t, then somewhere - _somehow_ \- she must have made a mistake to be dismissed out of his servitude.

**\-----**

Morning came with nothing but pain for the child. Each inch the sun climbed seemed to worsen her sadness. Each ray meant that she had passed the night without her beloved demons by her side. Each blinding glare meant that it was reality. Worst of all, however, was each footstep she heard. Each footfall upon the dirt meant that she was no longer in a forest ridden with silent demons.

Rin’s eyes were still red and could barely open. For the first time since meeting Sesshomaru, she had cried herself to sleep. The _dreams_ she had that night provided false hope that her lord was just outside the door waiting for her. However, when she opened it to only find the early morning sky, her tears resumed.

Though surrounded by a village of people, Rin had never felt more alone.

**\----------**


	3. Missing

**Missing**

“Where is it? Where is the demon!” His sword swished through the night air.

“What are ye talking about, Inuyasha? There be no demon here other than yourself and Shippou,” the old woman studied the man closely, as if something were wrong with _him_.

“Then where did that scream from, you old hag! First thing I hear when I reenter the village is some girl’s wail”

“Aye...it be only Rin. The poor child is still distraught from your brother leaving her here.”

\-----

Inuyasha slowly lowered his weapon as the cause for alert was explained. According to Shippou, Rin had been in the village for nearly six months. Each night the girl would awake with screams; nightmares from her painful past beginning to plague her young mind once more. She would call out her former Lord’s name over and over, praying that he would come back for her. Many had tried to console her aching heart; however, the child would only turn from them.

“Tell me Kaede, why does she continue to resist our help?” Despite his reputation for hating others, Inuyasha had grown a soft spot for those around him. They were more than friends; they were the family he had never had. They were the people he could turn to if he needed them and someone whom he could always rely upon.

“She be the same as ye were before meeting my sister - broken, alone, and cold. Rin be no different, Inuyasha. Though she may have us to try and help her, the child grieves for all those she has lost.”

\-----

Little did the two realize, the subject of the conversation was standing behind them, kimono coated with fresh tears that trailed down her front. In her hands, a hastily thrown together cloth sack whose contents were on the brink of spilling out. She quietly stared at them, contemplating if her choice was the right one. But, in the end, nothing would change her mind. Nothing but the return of her Lord.

Rin had decided; if he would not come for her, then she would go to him. Or die trying.

\-----

“Rin!” the young fox demon sang out into the crisp morning air, “Look what I found for you!” He ran around the area surrounding Kaede’s hut looking for her. In his hands was a half bloomed branch. One end had wonderfully ripe berries and the other possessed small buds. “Rin...RIN!” the branch dropped to the ground.

His nose continued to twitch uncontrollably, but her scent was nowhere to be found. “Kagome! Inuyasha!” The child wailed, his voice ringing throughout the entire village.

\-----

“Shippou? What is it?” The young woman let out a yawn as she spoke, her eyes still heavy from a restless sleep the night before.

The small demon began to sob, “Rin’s gone!”

“What are ye talking about child, Rin was in the house just yesterday. She likely went out for a walk in the forest,” Kaede too let out a yawn as she arrived at the scene with Inuyasha. The two had spent nearly the entire night discussing the safety of the village.

“But,” he hiccuped, “She’s not here anymore. I can’t find her scent anywhere!” He trailed off into short cries.

All turned to Inuyasha as his eyes grew wide, “The runt is right...Rin is nowhere near here.”

\-----

There was nothing but chaos following his words. Half of the group started spewing ideas left and right as to where she could have gone; whilst the others just stood there, dumbstruck. Why would she just _leave_? Did she truly resent them that much that she would be willing to risk her life in the wild? Everyone knew that she felt alone without her beloved demons by her side; however, risking her life to go find them would be out of character for even her. True, Rin did not possess fear for most things; living with demons had hardened that aspect of her. But, even she could not deny that she was but a child with no other home.

\-----

Kagome stared down the path that lead to the forest, a lingering question still in her mind. “Kaede, why did Sesshomaru leave Rin here?”

“What do ye mean?”

“Sesshomaru has kept Rin with him for all these years...so why would he suddenly just drop her here?”

“Obviously because he is nothing but an ass,” Inuyasha scoffed before Kagome’s command sent him crashing into the dirt.

“He did mention something about Rin changing due to living with demons.” A muffled ‘so’ could be heard from Inuyasha before Kaede continued, “Though I dislike to admit it, he may have been right. There were times where she was abnormally quiet and her eyes would go cold. She would suddenly say things that would not fit her character. But most of all, that child would observe. Not like a child wondering how the world works, but like ye or Shippou. Almost as if she saw things that the human eye could not see.”

“Feh,” the man finally managed to sit up, “What’s so bad about that?”

“Her senses were no longer like mine or Kagome’s. Rin could smell anything I made, no matter how far away she was, and could detect even the smallest of ingredients. She would find the smallest game in the farthest tree as if it were directly in front of her.”

Kagome continued to comfort Shippou, “So, you’re saying that living with demons for so long, heightened her senses. I actually agree with Inuyasha here...what’s so bad about that? That shouldn’t be worthy of the letting go of the little girl who adored him so much.”

“Unless,” Shippou’s eyes darkened as he perked up, “He saw that she was using those skills for another purpose,” he paused as if in deep thought, “When she first came here, I had a hard time getting her to come out and play with the other kids. Then one day she saw me sparring with some of the other boys. That’s when I noticed something was...off. She was staring, almost as if she were memorizing everything we did. A month or so later, she asked to have a fight with me.”

By now, Shippou was walking around, his unease evident to those around him, “Since she’s a human girl, I wanted to go easy on her - to make sure she didn’t get hurt. But she didn’t give me the chance. Within moments I was on the ground with Rin standing above me with an expression that seemed to belong to someone else. I’m a demon, yet she moved faster than me, almost in the blink of an eye. I jumped up to have a rematch and lost over and over. By the time the fifth round was over, I was tired...but Rin wasn’t even breathing hard…”

“What of it, runt? The girl can hold her ground, so can Kagome.”

“But Inuyasha, if Rin continued to live with arguably the strongest demon in the land...she _would_ change.”

“Aye, I believe the child would eventually try to surpass him, even if she wasn’t aware of doing so.”

“So the bastard left her here, because he didn’t want Rin to beat him,” He kicked at the ground, “And to think, I had gained _some_ respect for him because he had been taking care of her.”

“Wait, Inuyasha! Think of how ruthless Sesshomaru can be. Maybe he didn’t want Rin to follow that path...maybe he wanted to make sure she remained a human mentally.”

“As if _he_ would ever care enough about he-” Suddenly, the man began to collapse.

\----------


	4. Struck

**Struck**

Everyone went silent as his body fell to the ground; the way it crumbled borderlined unnatural. 

“Inuyasha!” Kagome screamed as she stumbled over to her husband.

The girl stood above him, her palm still thrust forward from the strike. Her eyes slowly regained their usual brightness only to be filled with tears when she looked down. Reality harshly set in as she kneeled beside the man, her tears staining his fire-rat robe.

Kagome cradled the unconscious Inuyasha closer, her eyes narrowing at the sudden attitude change of the girl. The others just stared at the scene, weary of her presence and fearful of what she might do next. Something was amidst though they weren’t sure what.

\-----

Shippou was the first to walk over, each step growing more confident as he approached her. He began to wrap a small arm around Rin to hug her, carefully sniffing to make sure she was unharmed. However, that was not his only intention. Like everyone else, he could feel something was wrong. He saw the way her eyes suddenly flashed back from being a hazy gray to her normal brown, though he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination. For a brief moment, Shippou thought she was being controlled like a puppet on a string; but, to his conflicted relief, there was nothing to suggest that.

\-----

No one knew what to say. Their minds told them to shun the girl, even fight back for hurting one of their own. But, their hearts stopped them. Rin was likely more dumbfounded than them, unsure of what had just transpired. Her tears told them as much. 

Every action the group could make held a certain amount of risk concerning her reaction. However, what that reaction would be was beyond them.

\-----

“Rin?” Kaede poured the child the last cup of tea from the kettle. The girl winced as she choked it down, pain clearly showing on her face.

“Drink it child, it will ward away whatever ails you.”

She struggled to drain the last drop of the bitter substance that barely constituted as tea, her throat feeling like it was on fire. Once finally done, Rin stared into her cup, “How is he doing, Kaede-sama?” The residue of tea leaves twirled as her hands began to shake.

“Inuyasha? The blow ye dealt him was quite strong, child. He is awake now, but barely.”

Rin’s eyes welded up once more, despite just becoming dry. She knew that the old woman would not exaggerate nor lie to her. Still, hearing the truth weighed heavily upon the girl’s shoulders.

\-----

It was not until nightfall that Inuyasha was fully able to move again. When the others went to tell Rin the good news, she was not in Kaede’s hut. The villagers nearby said they didn’t even see her leave, but the fact that her few belongings were gone showed otherwise.

Everyone was beyond astonished. So quickly had the child come back from trying to leave, only to do so again. By now, she must have discovered that finding her former lord was next to impossible; in this time he could have gone anywhere. Everyone had the same question in their heads, “What compelled Rin to leave the safety of the village once again.”

\-----

Within minutes of realizing she was no longer within the village boundaries, they set out to explore the lands surrounding the small area. It only took a couple of hours before them all to regroup, none with Rin in tow. The child had lived off the lands from a young age; younger and longer than any of the others. Her ability to navigate and hide was uncanny; within an hour Rin could have likely been more than halfway through Hanyou Forest - and no one knew just how much time had passed since she left.

\-----

The hours turned into days, which turned into weeks, but the girl did not return. Her friends had not given up hope on finding her; but they knew that changing their daily lives would not do anything.

Kaede remained in the village, continuing her duties as it’s elder and priestess. Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Kagome resumed their jobs of defending the local villages from demons. However, whenever they had down time, they would scour Kagome’s history books from her time. The group had learned the hard way just how important they were when they found information about Naraku within them. Perhaps Rin would also leave a mark on history and they could trace her whereabouts in them. However, so far they had found nothing.

As for Shippou, he too eventually left the village, instead going off to continue his studies in fox magic. He had delayed his actions in hopes that Rin would return, but slowly realized that he hopes were likely futile.

\-----

The ghostly voice whispered through the mist around her, “How did it feel, human?”

“Terrible. Let Rin go!” her voice cracked as she pleaded.

They ignored her cries, “Stay with us, we will raise you in our ways. Those feelings you have right now will mold into ones that grant what you have always wanted.”

“Rin doesn’t want to. Let Rin leave.”

“We were not giving you another option.”

\----------


	5. Bitter

**Bitter**

_ It had been a few months since Rin left the comforts of the village in search of Sesshomaru. Her years with him had honed her skills in tracking and hunting - far surpassing demons who were equivalent to her in age. The child knew which paths led where by only observing the plants that grew there. However, at the most crucial time, her profound skill failed her.  _

_ As she opened her mouth to munch on the ripe berry, Sesshomaru smacked it from her hands and gave her his usual emotionless stare. “Rin”, his voice not wavering as he looked into her eyes, “Do not eat this.” _

_ “Rin sorry, Sesshomaru-sama. Rin was hungry,” despite it not appearing any different than his usual demeanor, Rin could tell he was angry with her. _

_ “So be it, but NEVER eat from this plant,” he angrily crumbled the deep purple berries in his hands, the red streaked petals slowly falling to the ground, “For you, it would be death. And this Sesshomaru would not be able to save you,” he released the berries and flicked off any of the remains, “it clouds the thoughts and controls the body.” _

\-----

_ Rin was brought back from the distant memory as she was forced to the ground. The berries lured creatures in by its smell, almost as if it were an enchantment. The child was starving, having been unsuccessful at trapping food for days due to storms that ravaged the land. Edible vegetation was becoming harder to find as the year entered its final months. She saw the fruit, tempting her as they hung low from their branches. Rin began to eat her fill, but with each bite she felt as if eyes were watching her from the trees. Within a moment's breath, the demons were upon her, laughing as their toxic mist surrounded her body. _

_ “Sesshomaru-sama...please...please help Rin,” the girl choked back her tears as she continued to kneel at the demons before her. _

_ “Come now, child, there is no need to beg for anyone,” their words dripped almost like poison, “here, let us help you.” _

_ The demons smiled as Rin’s eyes slowly clouded over when she began to rise to her feet. Their grin grew even wider as she turned towards the direction she had come from. _

_ One settled by her ear, “You’re lost aren’t you? And just so hungry,” the creature delved further into her thoughts, “Ah, so that’s who this Sesshomaru you’re begging for is, a demon at that. Oh, but what’s this? He dismissed you without giving you a reason?” The demon continued to pry into her mind, “Ah..a desire for strength. What if...I gave it to you child?” _

_ The demon chuckled darkly as it began to leave her mind, “Wait, what’s this? Memories of that half demon filth Inuyasha? You know him?” the girl nodded without realizing, “Ha, then humor us child. We shall give you the strength and abilities you crave, in return, you will use it to relieve the world of that disgrace.” _

_ \----- _

Rin vaguely remembered what happened after the demons left her outside the village. How she struck Inuyasha without even realizing until it was already done. Yet even such an event was still fuzzy. But, the one thing she did remember cleared was the pain when Kaede had given her the tea. It burned her from inside, not just her tongue.

“Listen, human,” Rin quickly snapped out of her thoughts, “We told you that you would receive punishment for failing to defeat Inuyasha -”

Another demon piped in, “And then, you tried to drive us out of your mind!”

The original speaker nodded in agreement, “Yes...so child, travel to the nearby village. We heard through the earth that a trio of human demon slayers have arrived there and seem to be weak after fighting. Ridding the world of them should not be a challenge for you.”

“Especially with the gifts you have bestowed upon you,” The other demon spoke as if it were a kind-hearted action.

\-----

Rin only stared, refusing to bow. However, as her eyes clouded over once more, she nodded. The moment she walked out of their presence, the demons grinned. The slayers weren’t weak at all, so she would certainly fail at defeating them. However, she  _ would _ succeed in luring them here. A meal fit for royalty. After all, why have one human, when you can have four.

\-----

“Kaede, do you think we’ll find her?” Kagome kneeled next to the old woman, helping her weed the garden.

“To be honest...I do not know. I fear I may have been right in thinking Rin was not of sound mind when she came back,” she picked up the basket next to her and began to walk back inside, “The tea I gave her made her ill, in pain actually.”

“Pain from what?” Inuyasha took her basket and reached for Kagome’s.

She nodded in thanks, “The leaves I used the night she attacked ye,” the man winced, as much as he hated to admit it, the blow Rin dealt him actually hurt, “She must have been reacting to the bitterness of it.”

“Bah, what of it? Your tea is always bitter.”

Kaede ignored him, “These leaves are not bitter to anyone. Not unless they have encountered the Black Widow.”

“The spider?” Kagome cocked her head to the slide as the two of the stared at her, “You know...the one with some of the...deadliest...poison to humans…” she trailed off.

“No...the plant,” both of them raised an eyebrow at her, “What spider? There’s no spider with that name.”

“For once, the old hag is right, Kagome. The only Black Widow is the demon plant. It isn’t poisonous, but no one can eat it. A group of demonesses grow them every once in a while, probably hoping that some idiot will eat them. And, when they do, the demonesses gain complete control of their mind and body.”

“Aye. I fear Rin may have eaten it.”

\----------


	6. Unnatural

**Unnatural**

She watched them from the shadows, the demon slayers seemingly unaware of her presence. Finally, they began walking closer, hauling the gifts they received from the village in exchange for slaying a scorpion demon that had plagued them for months. Fine cloths, jewelry, and sacks of provisions barely stayed put on their small cart. Upon the mule, the sole female slayer remaining in the land guided the group along. At each side, her brother and her husband walked to ensure none of their spoils were lost.

“They don’t look that weak,” the girl whispered under her breath, “...but just a little closer until they’re here.”

Slowly the demon slayers walked into her hidden trap. Quietly, Rin tried to overtake them, but Sango had been ready - already wearing a gas mask to prevent the sudden explosion of sleeping powder from taking effect.”

“What? Rin? RIN!” The woman screamed through her mask at the child, “What are you doing? Explain yourself!”

Rin jumped back before Sango could grab her, “You’re pretty quick, not like them,” she let out a laugh at the unconscious bodies of Miroku and Kohaku.

“What is wrong with you? Does Sesshomaru know about this?” Sango resisted the urge to strike the child, noticing that something was off with the way she was moving. It reminded her of Kohaku, not too long ago when he was still under the control of Naraku.

The name struck a chord within the girl, temporarily bringing her back from the Black Widow’s grasp. Rin’s head flung back as she screamed out; the painful memories of the past few lonely months suddenly rushing forward.

However, the demonesses soon regained control and Rin snapped back into her puppet form. Sango only watched in horror as the girl switched between the two - and how unnatural it all seemed.

As the woman and child stared at each other, the men began to stir awake, Rin’s wail bringing them to. Slowly they rose to their feet, each confused on what had happened and why Rin, of all people, was there. Rin’s eyes grew wide, the powder was not supposed to wear off so quickly even if there was a loud noise. The Black Widow said it would give her at least thirty minutes to subdue the trio.

Whilst Sango turned to check on her family, Rin quietly made her escape. Quickly she ran through the maze of trees back to the Black Widow bushes. In the back of her mind, images of Sesshomaru began to violently flash. Unconsciously, the girl began to cry once more, as if begging for help. But soon the tears stopped as the Black Widow pushed the thoughts back behind the barrier they had built inside her mind. She needed to forget about him to do what they needed, and the demonesses made sure of this.

\-----

Rin was certain she covered her tracks well enough to run from the demon slayers; but there they were, unbeknownst to her, beginning to close in. They didn’t know her exact location yet, but it was definitely nearby.

Though there were no tracks on the ground or in the trees, her scent could not be hidden well enough to escape Kirara’s demon nose.

“Miroku, if we get ahold of Rin, we’re taking her with us.”

“But...Sango…” The monk trailed off. Traveling was already difficult with one child - even if he was a natural born slayer. Afterall, Miroku was trying to be a good role model for the boy who had lost all of his male influence so young. But two children? That would be another burden they didn’t need.

“Monk!” The man winced, Sango only called him that when he was going to be scolded with a strike from her Hiraikotsu.”We are taking her with us, and that is final. Something is wrong...very wrong. And where is Sesshomaru? He never leaves her, especially not in a state like this.”

“Sis is right, Miroku. Surely you noticed how she was behaving!”

“Fine! We’ll take Rin with us. But we’re taking her straight to Kaede’s.”

“Deal,” the other two spoke in unison.

\----------


	7. Follow

**Follow**

“Come on Miroku, Kohaku, she’s so close to us.” She stroked Kirara’s mane as the demon cat led them through the forest.

The monk sighed, “Why are you so keen on helping her? Sure Rin looked a bit strange, but she can obviously hold her own!”

“Drop it, Miroku, you know how Sis gets when she’s determined,” the boy’s voice wavered as he remembered how violent that determination could become.

The three were searching around the forest clearing where Rin’s scent suddenly disappeared. It was like the girl vanished into thin air. Perhaps Miroku was right, maybe the girl did not want to be saved - let alone found. Kohaku idly spun his Kusarigama around, careful not to disturb any of the wildlife. As his stomach growled, he reached for some nearby berries.

“Oh! These are perfect for a quick snack,” he stuffed a handful into his mouth before calling out to the pair, “Hey guy! Let’s eat lunch, I’m starving!”  
  


As the trio opened some of the meals that the villagers packed for them, Miroku and Sango continued to argue about what to do with Rin. Sure, taking her to Kaede seemed like a simple solution, but they were nowhere near the village. As an added problem, Sango had been very sick lately - with excessive traveling and fighting only making it worse. Yet Sango continued to demand they help the girl, thinking back to the few times that she and Sesshomaru helped them.

Miroku begrudgingly rose to his feet, “Come on, let’s go find her.”

Kohaku laughed before also rising, “Why the sudden change of heart?”

“I’m tired of arguing with your sister,” he then mumbled, “I never win anyway.”

After cleaning up their meal, the group continued their search past the clearing, deducing that the girl must have discovered that she was leaving a scent behind. Not to mention how she was very small and could move equally quickly. Either that, or the group had gotten slow.

“Come on, Rin, we just want to help,” Sango gasped for air, tired from a combination of running after the girl and yelling for her.

“Sister, are you okay!”

“Damn,” she whispered low enough so the others could not hear, “It’s becoming more noticeable.”

\-----

On the outskirts of the forest, Rin waited for her orders. Unsure of what the Black Widows would do since she failed yet again. Part of Rin hoped the group would find her, but she also knew that if they did, it would be their demise.

_“Come child, since you failed in capturing them, lead them to us. Find them now and bring them back.”_

Rin’s head snapped back as their words infiltrated her mind, unable to resist the hold they had. Slowly her eyes began to cloud over once more.

“Rin understands,” she spoke as she began to run back in the direction from whence she had just come.

\-----

_There._ Rin crept around the corner, careful not to make a single sound. The trio sat before her, taking another break as the woman had grown tired from searching. Rin tried to slowly approach them, but Kirara was already on edge and ready to attack.

“Rin wants you to follow Rin,” she beckoned them forward.

The group immediately joined Kirara in a surprised defensive stance; shocked that she had found them instead of the reverse.

“Rin, what is going on, where do you want to take us?” Sango’s voice was obviously strained.

“Just follow.”

“Surely, it’s safe, Sister...she knows that in the end, we are stronger and can overpower her if needed.”

_“Yes child, lead them to us,”_ The voices in Rin’s head hissed as she and the demon slayers grew closer to their lair. Rin knew it was a trap, yet her body would not stop moving and her mouth could not open to warn them. The Black Widow had complete control of her body, all the way down to its core.

\-----

The path to the demonesses’ lair was riddled with the Black Widow berries, each bush more tempting than the last. Kohaku quietly reached into his pocket and ate a few more of the ones he had found earlier - berries that looked oddly similar to the ones by the cave they were approaching.

“Kohaku!” Sango slapped the fruit out of his hands, “Those are Black Widow Berries! You cannot eat them!”

“What will happen if I di - do?”

“Don’t you remember? They allow those very demons to control your mind -” her words trailed off as she began to put two and two together. The reason why Rin was behaving so strangely, perhaps that was the cause!

“Rin,” the woman’s voice became even more stern than before, “Did you eat the berries?”

“Yes,” her voice barely came out as a whisper as tears streamed down her face.

\----------


	8. Four

**Four**

Sango’s hunch was right, the berries were the reason for the Rin that stood before them. The demons’ lair loomed ahead of the group, a large crack in face of a rocky hill. All around them, the berries flourished in their bushes, inviting the hungry to come take a bite. The girl continued to lead the demon slayers forward, fully aware of how the demonesses were lurking in the shadows of the cave. 

_ “Why have one human, when you can have four,”  _ The Black Widows laughed. Not only would they have a meal fit for royalty, there would plenty leftover.

“Rin, we must leave immediately,” Miroku borderline begged the child.

Sango touched the monk’s shoulder, “Let’s just play along for now. Perhaps we will be the ones to defeat the legendary Black Widows and finally put an end to their curse.”

The group slowly walked through the crack in the hill and stood in what appeared to be an audience hall - with the demons now sitting on a raised platform surrounded by crystal clear water. They were beautiful, almost human-like - until you saw their reflections. In reality they were large goblin-like creatures, covered in slime, fur, and human hair - likely stolen from previous prey. The demons rose from their seats and with each step they took, the trio took a heavy breath. Despite the facade their ‘beauty’ forms showed, they were far from slim.

“Welcome,” the first demoness’s voice was little more than a hiss, “So glad the child brought you.”

Sango cautiously replied, “What do you want with us?”

“In due time, woman. Though I imagine you already know,” the second demoness chimed in. 

Within seconds each party was arming for the fight. Sango and Kohaku readied their weapons whilst Miroku pulled various sutras from his sleeve. On the other side, the demons shed their fake forms to allow the real ones to move more freely. Their teeth and talons extended to their true length and their bodies began to ooze miasma. Luckily both Sango’s Hiraikotsu and Kohaku’s Kusarigama were reinforced to dispel the toxic fumes. With each successful attack upon the demonessess, they wailed from the cuts and burns. Yet they never backed down; instead moving forward to corner the young girl and slayers. The fight could not have lasted more than ten minutes, but to Rin especially, it felt like an eternity. By the end, each party was struggling to breath - Sango having the most trouble out of them all. 

The demons were visibly tired like the humans, but a dark smile still creeped along their faces - almost as if they had won. Then suddenly, a cry rang out in the tense air. In the blink of an eye, Rin was being held by Kohaku. His hand sitting his sickle on her throat.

“Kohaku!” Sango gasped having immediately turned once she heard the girl’s scream.

“Oh, did you think you had won?” The demoness’ terrible cackle boomed across the room, “Idiot slayer. Your beloved little brother ate some of our wonderfully tempting berries too.”

The remaining demon piped in, “So, what will you do now? Stop the boy?” Her fist clenched as the other spoke, causing his sickle to draw blood from Rin’s neck, “Or us?”

Without a second thought, the couple ran to the two children causing the demons to let out another laugh. Within moments, they were gone. All that remained was a thinning trail of blood as their wounds had already begun to heal.

“Kohaku! Kohaku, snap out of it!” Miroku and Sango border lined violently shaking the boy.

“What happened?” He looked down at his weapon, “I didn’t hurt anyone...did I!”

Sango looked at Rin who lightly rubbed the blood off her neck, “It’s okay now...it’s okay.” Her face quickly turned stern, “How could you eat the berries! I told you not to!”

  
“...I had already eaten some before lunch.”

“Well, at least you’re safe now,” Miroku ruffled the boy’s hair, “You too, Rin.”

The girl silently followed the group, ashamed of how she knowingly led them into the trap.

“It’s okay, Rin,” Sango called out in a motherly voice, “You did not mean us any harm. It was the demonesses controlling you. But, since they were still badly hurt, I’d be surprised if they didn’t release their grasp on you to heal.”

“Rin knows...but Rin feels horrible. Rin sorry for tricking you.”

Kohaku stopped walking to let the girl catch up to him, “Hey, Rin. How about you come with us?”

“Rin does not want to go back to Kaede-sama’s village. Rin wants to be strong,” the fire in her eyes slowly returned.

“What do you mean? Besides, why aren’t you with Sesshomaru?” Miroku too lagged behind so he could enter the conversation before Sango noticed.

However, when the girl began to cry, it immediately caught the woman’s attention, “What have you two done to make her cry!”

“Nothing,” the two stammered.

“Sesshomaru-sama left Rin behind in Kaede-sama’s village. Ring just wants to be strong like Sesshomaru-sama.”

“But there’s nothing wrong with that! There must have been another reason. How about this, we’ll go to Kaede’s village to speak with her,” Sango extended her hand towards Rin, “But, if you do not want to stay, you can come with us.”

“Promise?”

“Promise,” and Rin clasped her hand with hers.

\----------


	9. Promise

**Promise**

Sango began to talk to the girl about what had happened since they last saw each other during the battle with Naraku. Meanwhile, the men of the family continued to lag behind, not wanting to risk getting scolded by Sango again.

"Hey, Kohaku," the boy turned towards Miroku as he whispered, "Has Sango seemed off to you too recently?"

"A little bit. She seems to be moving slower than usual. Especially after that fight with the scorpion demi-god."

"I wonder if she is o-" the man walked directly into the subject of the conversation.

"Thank you for your concern you two," she grabbed the both by the ear, "But I'm fine."

Miroku raised his eyebrow as he looked at his wife, no matter what she said, something was definitely weird. Nonetheless, he dropped the topic for now to avoid getting a dose of Hiraikotsu. The group continued to move towards the village where the rest of their party stayed. It had been a while since they had all been together and there would likely be numerous stories to share. Sango smiled at the idea of seeing everyone, especially Kagome since she was the only woman close to her in age. The journey to the village would take a few days, but it would be worth it.

Meanwhile, Rin just stared up at the sky as she walked between the horse and Kirara. She was lost in thought; angered by how she would be going back to the place that she had run from, but relieved about the promise that she would not have to stay. The quicker the visit was, the quicker she would be able to continue her search for Sesshomaru. For all the years Rin had traveled with him, she had a few ideas as to where he had gone. It would just take longer on foot. Her eyes narrowed as looked over at the horse but she shook the idea out of her head; it wouldn't be right to the slayers that had just helped her despite her actions. Rin would just have to wait, no matter how much it hurt her to do so.

\-----

It took a bit longer than planned to arrive at the village due to Sango becoming ill after walking too much or eating different foods, but the group finally stepped foot on the paved roads. Within moments, Shippou ran up excited to see them, exclaiming how he knew they were coming because their scent had grown stronger. Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kaede soon followed carrying baskets having just returned from the farms. All was well until Rin slowly poked her head out from behind the cart. Shippou's eyes grew wide, how did he not pick up her scent? But it didn't matter, he quickly bounced over to her with the biggest smile.

"Hi, everyone," her voice only slightly louder than a whisper.

"Welcome back, Rin," Kagome handed the child a freshly picked apple, "Are you okay?"

Rin held the fruit, trying to figure out the best way to answer, "Rin is...fine. Rin has not found Sesshomaru-sama yet, but Rin will."

The group only stared at her already realizing that she had no intention of staying. Shippou was the first to speak up, "Okay. Well, while you're here, do you want to go play?" Rin smiled before taking his hand and walking away with him as she munched on the apple.

Sango waited until they were out of earshot before speaking with everyone else, "What's going on? Find Sesshomaru? She was telling the truth when she said he left her here?"

"Aye, the child is correct. Sesshomaru appeared and left her without saying a word as to why. Only stating that it would be the best for her to live with humans," Kaede lowered her head as she spoke - retelling the story had not gotten any easier.

"That's not like him, it can't be the only reason why," Miroku piped in with his own opinion of the situation, "Do you know anything else?"

And thus Kaede, Kagome, and Inuyasha began telling the slayers everything they knew and what had happened; and the slayers did the same. Talking about the Black Widow made Inuyasha cringe as he remembered what Rin had done to him. It was hard to believe that those demons could offer that much power to a child - power that even an adult should not be able to handle so easily. But the Black Widow had and Rin seemed to adjust and use the newfound strength with ease.

It was not until well into the evening that the entire group had a complete idea of what happened as well as theories on why it happened in the first place. Everything could be connected to one central concept: Rin's humanity was waning and in danger. The nine year old human had the knowledge and skill of a hundred year old demon, and that scared everyone who knew. The two children returned to the hut after Kagome called out saying that dinner was ready - a comforting meal was something that everyone could use.

\-----

When morning came and the slayers awoke, they found Rin's mat empty. Immediately they remembered how she had a history of running away and burst out the door to look for her. Luckily, this time, there was no need for alarm; the child sat on the ground weaving flowers together in various shapes and sizes. However, her eyes were red and puffy, likely due to crying over the loss of her family once more. The village brought her pain and she wanted to leave.

The trio looked at each other, perhaps the promise to take her with them was not a wise one. But, Rin had made up her mind about not wanting to stay and live a safe life. Running with demons was what fueled her, and not having that would only make her feel worse. Miroku was the first to speak up, no more than a whisper.

"Sango...we really can't leave her here, can we?"

"No. She would only run away again. But to bring her with us would mean…" The woman trailed off.

"It would mean making her into one of us...wouldn't it," Kohaku lowered his head, "Making her into a slayer."

The adults could only nod. To train an outsider - let alone a child - was unheard of because it was a taboo. Even those that married into the slayer's village, were never actually taught their ways - only the children that were born into the village could learn.

"Do it," the trio jumped as Rin was suddenly in front of them, "Make Rin a slayer. Then Rin can travel with you and find Sesshomaru-sama."

Miroku removed his hand from his staff, having grasped it in shock, "How did you hear us?"

"Rin can hear everything," She continued to look up at them, unwavering as she spoke, "Even when you were talking about Rin last night."

"Then you know how much we don't like the idea," Sango stared back at the child.

"Rin doesn't care, Rin just wants to find Sesshomaru-sama," she turned away from them, "Rin does not want to be left here again."

"Rin, you must understand...the life of a slayer is not easy. The training will be rigorous and the moment you enter into the world, death will always surround you."

"Rin lived with Sesshomaru-sama and Jaken-sama for a long time, Rin knows how to fight."

The slayers all looked at the girl as she spoke, as much as they hated to admit it, she was right. Living with demons had changed her - which led to this conversation even happening.

"Will you keep your promise? You promised Rin wouldn't have to stay here again."

Sango sighed before pulling the girl into a hug, "You can come with us Rin...but you will never be able to return to a normal life if you do."


	10. Beginnings

**Beginnings**

As expected, the rest of the group was taken aback when the slayers told them that they would “adopt” Rin. However, one look at the girl told them that, as much as this pained them, it would be for the best. Better for her to leave with people they trusted than risk going out into the wild alone again.

Gathering supplies went fairly quickly and it was only a few hours before the now - official - group of four headed out of the village. Rin’s training would require them to go back to Yokai Taijiya Village, the place where Sango and Kohaku were born. To help in speeding up the journey, they left their cart and horse behind in the village, only taking a few packs worth of stuff. Getting to the slayers’ village would take about 3 days on foot, though it would likely be longer because of Sango. The journey would also be a chance to show Rin a few things that slayers used when out on the field such as ointments and poisons. However, when thinking about it, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if she already knew these things. Training Rin would be a challenge not because of her skills or age; no, instead it would be because she knew - and certainly preferred - the other side of the fights. She said that traveling with them and becoming a slayer was no big deal, but the family feared that her kindness towards demons might get the best of her when it mattered the most. But, despite this, they forged ahead to formally train her - only hoping that she would be able to adjust.

\-----

“Alright, and what’s this one used to make?” Sango held up a small flower with thick roots.

Rin let out a small sigh, “The petals and seeds can be ground into a paste that can be used as a burn salve,” She pointed to the lower portion, “But the roots are poisonous and should only be used for offensive attacks.”

“Look, I know it’s boring, but this is part of the training. You want to find Sesshomaru, don’t you?” Like Rin, Sango was becoming progressively more irritated.

“Yes, but...but Rin already knows these things! Rin had to forage for years.”

“I know, I know,” She turned to her husband and brother that had been sharpening the weapons, “Are you guys ready for dinner? I think we could all use a break,” A chorus of ‘yes’ soon followed.

The meal was fairly silent because of the obvious tension between the two women. The only words spoken were asking for something to be passed from one person to another. Once finished, Rin gathered the dishes to go wash them at the river they were next to - no one made her or even suggested it, but she wanted to be alone. They were about a day into traveling towards the sibling’s hometown, but it felt like eternity. She had already considered running from the group to do things her way; but Rin knew that it would be better for her to stay around for as long as she could to learn. However, all she was being taught were things she already knew from traveling with Sesshomaru and Jaken. What she really needed was to be taught how to use weapons beyond the small dagger she kept within the folds of her kimono. Rin let out a small laugh, no one even knew she carried one, but her lord gave it to her in case she ever needed to fend for herself if he could not reach her. But something this small would do nothing when she went to the places she thought he might be. The demons on those routes were mindless monsters that would only respond to being cut down. Sesshomaru did so with ease, but for Rin, the task would be much harder. She began to fantasize about the weapons she would be shown once she reached the village. Though Hiraikotsu and Kusarigama were amazing, Rin knew they were not for her. She loved the idea of having claws like Sesshomaru, but was always saddened by how she would never have them. Perhaps now she could.

“...in...Rin!” Kohaku tapped the girl on the shoulder as she continued to be lost in thought.

“Ah, sorry! Rin was just thinking about how pretty the stars look,” over the years, the child had become very good at lying to other humans.

“They are, aren’t they,” Kohaku sat down next to her, “You know...it’s not too late to turn back if you don’t want to go through with this.”

As Rin’s eyes began to flare up, Kohaku quickly continued, “I know, everything is to find Sesshomaru. But what about after you do? Will you just throw all the training away and stop being a demon slayer?”

“No. Rin will never forget anything. But Rin will live with Sesshomaru-sama because that is what Rin wants.”

“Alright, I just wanted to make sure. Assuming Sis stays well like she did today, we should be there two mornings from now. I’ll go ahead and warn you now; the village is dead. It was destroyed years ago, which is why we rarely go there,” he sighed very sadly, going back home was always painful, “But everything we would need to train you - including any weapons - will be there.”

“Kohaku,” the child gripped her kimono as she spoke, “Is...is Rin going to be okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone is so worried that Rin isn’t going to be human anymore. But...Rin is a human...right?”

“And we know that, but…” Kohaku trailed off, not sure how to dispel the girl’s worries, “...It’ll be okay, Rin. Now come on, let’s get some sleep!”

\----------


	11. Test - A Sango Short

**_Test_ **

_ “Hey Sango,” the woman turned to Kagome as they sat alone together around the hearth, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but why have you not told anyone yet?” _

_ Sango raised an eyebrow at her words, “Told anyone...what?” _

_ “I think you know what I’m talking about,” Kagome smirked but then matched Sango’s expression, “Or are you not sure?” _

_ Slowly Sango put what Kagome was saying together and immediately began to blush, “No, not really. I think so...but I don’t really know for sure.” _

_ “Ah, that’s right, the feudal era had to do things differently. Hold on,” Kagome began to rummage through her seemingly magical bag that could hold an endless amount of things. “Here!” _

_ Sango became confused once more as she held the strange box, “Pregnancy...test? What does it mean by test? How would it know the answer?” _

_ “Hmm, it will just be easier if you use it rather than me go into detail about what it does.” _

_ Thus, Kagome walked Sango through the process of how it worked and explained that it would make sense after she followed her instructions.  _

_ After a few minutes, the woman came back with the stick laying flat in her hand, “Um...now what?” _

_ “Now? We wait!” As Kagome spoke, the ‘positive’ line popped up, “Or not, wow that was fast. Welllll,” she wrapped an arm around her best friend, “That symbol means that you’re pregnant, so congratulations!”  _

_ Sango let out the breath she was unconsciously holding, “Really? It’s that...easy? No more...wondering?” _

_ “Yup! This is how it was done in my old life. I can’t say they’re always right, but there is very little chance that it’s wrong. _

_ Sango began to smile as she stared at the strange device. However, she soon looked up at Kagome, “Wait...why do you have these? You haven’t gone back to the other time in over a year because of the well closing...” _

_ It was then Kagome’s turn to blush, “Um...well...because I thought they would come in handy.” _

_ “For...?” Sango raised her eyebrow once more and leaned in, “You?” _

_ Kagome’s face only turned redder as she began to speak very fast, “Um...maybe...since...” _

_ Sango looked at her with a curious smile, already knowing where the conversation was heading. _

_ Kagome continued to blush as she spoke even faster, “Since…maybe Inuyasha and I have actually been together a lot longer than the rest of you think and at one point, my period - lunar cycle - was very late. So, I panicked and went back to my time to buy them,” she took a much needed breath, “It came back negative and so I calmed down. But, there was no point going back just to return them, so I kept them hidden here.” _

_ Her friend began to laugh, “Hahaha, we all knew. Both of you are terrible at keeping secrets. But we decided to wait until you actually said something.” _

_ “...You…” Kagome’s face managed to turn even redder, “......You……knew!” _

_ “Of course! After all, you two are equally terrible at hiding things,” Sango gave Kagome a playful wink as her friend almost fell over from embarrassment.  _

_ \---------- _

  
  



	12. Sorting

**Sorting**

Fortune fell upon the group once more as they were able to go yet another morning without needing to worry about Sango. She lingered back behind the group with Kirara in her arms.

As she stroked the demon cat’s back, the memory of her last “girls’ night” with Kagome came back. Such a strange device, but it definitely eased her mind knowing that she was correct. Sango wasn’t exactly sure how far along she was, but had a pretty good idea. The fun part would be telling her family how there was going to be a new member come the end of summer. Should she just outright tell Miroku and Kohaku that she was pregnant, or should she wait until she was actually showing and let them try to figure it out? Either way, their reactions would be hilarious. Sango’s thoughts then went to Rin as the girl walked in front of her. When she could no longer fight, Rin would take her place as the sole female slayer in the land - though for how long would always be up to debate. Getting to the village quickly was of the utmost importance. The girl needed to choose her weapon style and forge one as soon as possible so she could master it in time. Becoming a fully trained slayer in five months sounded crazy, but with how quickly the girl mastered the power from the Black Widow, Sango was confident that she could do it.

“Sango?” Her husband’s voice brought her back from daydreaming, “Are you sure you’re still doing okay?”

“Yes,” she smiled, “You really don’t need to keep asking. I’ll let you know if something’s wrong.” Though her words were meant to reassure him, the calmness only made him worry more.

“Miroku...I’m scared,” Kohaku’s whisper was filled with a fear equal to what the man showed.

“Let’s just leave it alone for now. I’d rather not get in trouble,” the men nodded in agreement.

\-----

The day went even smoother than the previous and the quartet covered more ground than they thought they would. At this rate, they would arrive by sundown tomorrow. However, the tension between Sango and Rin seemed to grow. It was becoming more and more apparent that the conflict of learning vs teaching was going to cause issues.

“You know what then?” Sango threw her hands up into the air, “Since you’re just so knowledgeable, I’ll let it go if you identify every ingredient that goes into these!” The woman began to pull out various objects from her bags as well as Kohaku’s and Miroku’s. Soon a large pile sat between her and Rin and the look on her face became to show traces of triumph. There was no way the girl could identify everything in the salves, bombs, liquids, powders, even the weapons. Only a slayer would have that in depth of knowledge. But within half an hour her gaze became serious. Slowly the girl began to sort the items into piles. At first it appeared to be by type, but objects began to appear in areas they didn’t match; a weapon was placed in the pile with powder, a salve placed with a bomb. There seemed to be no logic, at least not until Sango looked at them closer. Immediately her jaw dropped. It shouldn’t have been possible, but Rin was separating them according to their basic makeup.

It took nearly two hours but, when done, Rin looked Sango in the eyes, “Rin knows what Rin is doing.”

Kohaku moved closer to the two women and his expression matched his sister’s, “Sis...how did she...how did she do this? These are slayer arts!”

Both spoke in unison as they looked back at her, “Rin, where are you from?”

  
\----------


	13. Author's Note - 12/18/20

**Author’s Note:**

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for still reading this fanfic! New chapter should be ready soon. But for now, there are a couple of things I wanted to update you on before we continue.

1\. This idea is 8 years old, long before the sequel was made. For those who are watching it, I just wanted to let you know that nothing I’m writing will be based on/lead to that series. It is only about the original.

2\. As you know, Rin’s past was never really talked about in the main series, so the few details that were given will likely not appear. This  _ is _ an AU after all.

3\. I altered the biological ages a bit from what I originally said. Nothing major, only a year or so for some of them. But I wanted to put them below. As always, please remember that **nothing will happen between Rin and Sesshōmaru until she is considered an adult.**

Sesshōmaru = 20

Rin = 10

Inuyasha = 16

Kagome = 16

Miroku = 20

Sango = 18

Kohaku = 12

Shippō = 8

And that’s it! Thanks again everyone for reading! Get ready for the roller coaster ride that’s about to hit “No Longer Yours - Rin’s Choice”

~ Blind2reality


	14. Bones

**Bones**

“Where is Rin...from?”

“We know that you lived in a village before meeting Sesshōmaru,” Sango continued to carefully choose her words, “But that isn’t where you were born, right?”

“Before...Sesshōmaru-sama...Before the mean village…” her strong demeanor suddenly vanished, “Rin...Rin was in the mountains with papa and mama and big brother,” Tears began to well up in her eyes, “We were so happy...but they hated mama so much…”

The other three exchanged glances; if they were to continue to question her, the girl would likely break. But they also needed to know just who they were traveling with. Rin being from Yōkai Taiya village would explain so much, but also give way to just as many questions. The biggest being, if she was from the village, how come they didn’t know already. Rin was almost ten years younger than Sango, so there could be no way she hadn’t heard of her before. This child had always been a mystery, but the more time they had spent with her the more they had come to realize this. Despite being the one to push for the questioning, Sango lowered her head - signaling to her family that this was something that would need to be addressed later. Risking Rin collapsing from repressed memories coming forward would do them more harm than good. But the topic could not be avoided forever. Rin wasn’t what she seemed; even if she didn’t realize it herself.

\-----

“The flowers are so pretty here!” Rin, who had been silent for nearly half a day post their conversation, suddenly sprang up full of life.

“Hahaha, well then why don’t we eat here?” Miroku had already begun taking out supplies before anyone responded.

“Shouldn’t you have waited for us to answer, before you started unpacking?” Kohaku laughed as he helped his brother-in-law out, causing the monk to laugh as well.

“Alright you two, since you’re cooking, I’ll help Rin gather ingredients,” Sango glanced over to the girl, “Come on, it’ll be fun!”

Rin looked at Sango while raising her eyebrow, something was definitely amidst. Yet the girl, in the end, got up from the flower patch to go with her.

\-----

“Where are you leading Rin?”

Sango gave a small sigh as she looked behind her, “Just away from those two, I have something I need to talk to you about.”

Rin cocked her head to the side, “Something to talk about it? Is it about how Rin sorted things?”

“Well, I would like to know more about that, but it can wait for now. No no, this is about the path you’re about to walk down,” Sango bent down to look the girl in the eyes, “Rin, I’m not sure if you know this, but Kohaku and I are the only slayers remaining in this area...if not the world. We used to be a mighty village, but years ago, that changed. Like we said, in our world, death walks besides you at all times. So, I’m going to ask you one last time; are you sure you are ready for that?”

“Yes. Rin already knows what it’s like. After all, Rin has died before.”

Sango’s eyes grew wide at the girl’s words but she quickly regained composure, “Then I will let the matter go. Tomorrow evening we will arrive at my birth village and you will train day and night to become a slayer. Kohaku will guide you as well, but most of your training will come from me. But Rin…” Sango’s voice trailed off.

“Is something wrong?” Rin’s voice had genuine worry mixed in with her normal tone.

“Nothing,” she shook her head, “It’s not important. Just, I need you to understand something before we get there. The days ahead are going to be long and difficult. And to succeed, your mind needs to be clear. I’m not saying to forget about Sesshōmaru, but I need you to focus on the tasks you’re given. Even if they may seem boring. Can you do that?” Rin stared at her for a few moments before nodding, “You’ll have until just before Summer to master everything, but I know you can do it!”

“Sango? Rin? Are you two okay?” Miroku called out after noticing that the two had been gone for longer than he first thought they would be. But his worry was calmed when Sango shouted back that they were on the way.

As the two women collected some wild herbs and water, Rin looked over at her mentor. “Why does Rin need to be ready before Summer?”

“Don’t worry about it right now. Just make Summer your goal,” Sango stood up with the group’s canteens cradled in her arms, “Come on, Miroku is actually a pretty good cook!”

Dinner passed nicely, with the group’s conversations being much smoother compared to when they had first set out. They talked about a variety of things such as different monsters they had faced, villages they had visited, and companions they had found along the way. Naturally, as Rin had lived amongst demons for so long, her stories were unimaginable to the other three. But as she recounted various moments from her travels, you could feel the joy radiating off of her. Her desire to be back with Sesshōmaru was deep and it showed. However, the family’s worry about where her loyalties would lie during battle continued to grow. Her love and admiration for Sesshōmaru risked leading to compassion for the enemy. But the girl agreed to coming with them and knew that those ties would be tested.

\-----

The remainder of the journey to Yokai Taiya village went quickly, and as planned, the party arrived before sundown the next day. The village was still deserted and felt cold even with the fires going. Yet, the group was ready for the long months ahead. They would eventually need supplies, but nearby villages would make the process easier. As for the money needed to buy said supplies, the group would earn it while training Rin. One of the best ways to learn the art of slaying was to use it out on the field. But there was one looming task that needed to be settled before anything else could happen.

“Rin,” she turned toward Kohaku, “Before we can do anything, you’ll need to forge your weapon.”

“Doing this will take time, but it’s necessary because it will become an extension of you. Take the rest of the night to think about it, there’s no need to decide right now.”

As the family set up futons for everyone to sleep in, Rin wandered around the village. Had Sango not said that it was mighty before, she would have never believed it. The buildings were run down or in complete ruins and farming plots and troughs were long dried up. Living here would mean starting from scratch, but it couldn’t be helped. As she went in and out of houses, the child stumbled upon various remains littered about - hoping all of them belonging to monsters. Sometimes the bones were in random areas, but more often than not, they were in specific spots such as benches or tables. Kohaku had mentioned that their weapons were stronger than normal ones because they were made from demon bones, so this was probably the reason for the large number that were within the village. 

_ A weapon.  _ Rin’s mind remembered what her task was for the night. Deciding on a weapon that would become part of her. She knew she wanted claws like Sesshōmaru, but she also wanted something for long distance attacks. As she continued to walk around, Rin stumbled over something on the rocky path. When she looked down, it was a rusted chain and caused an idea to spring up in her head. Her eyes began to flare up as the excitement of the idea coursed through her body. If anyone were to walk by, they would think she was a child excited about a new toy; not something intended to slay any monster in her path. Claws for close contact combat, and the chain to throw like how Kohaku did with his Kusarigama. If she could master both, she would be able to take on enemies in any terrain. Which, in the end, meant she would be able to chase after Sesshōmaru easier than before. The weapons would help unlock a path to her goal. 

In the middle of her excitement, she could have sworn she heard a whisper saying, “good choice, child,” but she quickly shook the thought away. Getting back to the family was the most important thing for now, not some random thought from her imagination. 

\----------


	15. Forging

**Forging**

“Look what Rin found!” The girl came running in with the noisy rusted chain dragging behind her.

“What on Earth is that? A chain?” Sango looked up from the fire as the sound had interrupted their conversations, “What are you going to do with that though?”

“Throw it like how Kohaku does with his Kusarigama!”

“So you want to use a sickle like me?”

Rin shook her head, “No, not exactly. Rin just wants to have a chain too.”

Miroku also joined in on his family’s confusion, “A chain with nothing on the end won’t really do any good. Not unless you’re just trying to trip your foes.”

“How about a ball then?” Everyone hesitated at her words but then nodded at the idea, “And then...Rin would like claws like Sesshōmaru-sama.”

“Claws like Sesshōmaru?” Kohaku turned towards his sister, “That might be a little hard to make, and use, right?”

Sango put her hand to her chin as she pondered the idea, “Not necessarily. The core design would just need to be based on something. After that, she’ll have to find what movements feel the best. But, again, coming up with a design will be the hardest part”

“What about the one Suikotsu from the Band of Seven used?” Miroku shuddered as he proposed the idea. The memories of that time were far from fond, “The gloves were fully functional when he put them on. But they seemed really heavy with even a normal blade. Slayers have to use bone, right?”

“Rin is stronger than Rin looks so it will be fine. Rin just wants claws like Sesshōmaru-sama!”

The family looked at each other; when the girl had that fire in her eyes, nothing would stop her. And so, they pulled out paper and ink and drew what they could remember about Suikotsu’s weapon. The design was rough, but it would serve as some idea for Rin to build off of. For the - assumed - first time doing this, the nine-year-old went for something very complicated right off the bat. Perhaps this was an indicator of what was to come as she trained to become a demon slayer. Either way, the idea was solidified and forging would begin in the morning.

\-----

At the crack of dawn, the family began to work. Kohaku and Rin went to search for materials, whilst Sango and Miroku stayed behind to set up the long abandoned blacksmithing hut.

“Sango,” Miroku waited until the children were long out of earshot, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Letting Rin make this weapon?”

“Well yes, that, but honestly, just everything. She’s only nine, yet is hellbent on going down a path of murder - even if it is just against demons.”

“I know, and it scares me too. It was different for Kohaku and I since we actually grew up as slayers. But that look in her eyes, something about it worries me even more if she were to go off on her own. Like Kaede and the rest said, something is off with her now,” Sango let out a heavy sigh, “Maybe Sesshōmaru was right about leaving her back at the village.”

“Yeah, after all, the Rin we last saw a year ago was nothing like the one we’re with right now. She was so cute, so innocent, so pure. And now...” the monk trailed off.

“Now...it’s like she’s not even completely human anymore. None of us know that much about her, nor why Sesshōmaru kept her around for so long before ultimately leaving her behind. And then there’s still the big question of why she knows so much about demon slayer ways,” Sango joined her husband in just looking off into the distance. These thoughts were going through the entire family’s minds and they only led to more questions.

“Well, I guess all we can do is get things ready for her to forge her weapons and hope for the best,” Miroku clapped his hands together to come back to reality, “ Do you need help with anything?”

Sango was brought back from her daze as well, “Hmm, I guess some more water would be good. Those two are off getting the firewood since it’s different from the type we use in the manor.”

\-----

Meanwhile, Kohaku led Rin further into the woods near the village. Much to his surprise, some of the demon warding sutras and traps were still intact, so finding supplies would go smoother than he initially expected. Yokai Taiya Village was purposely built in this area centuries ago due to its access to resources and continued to maintain its beauty despite the protectors’ fortress being empty. You could feel the sadness growing in Kohaku as they continued to go to the trees that would turn into the special firewood used for forging. This area held so many memories of his childhood, all of them happy until that dreadful day caused by his own hands.

“Kohaku?” The boy shook himself from his thoughts and turned towards his companion, “It’s those right?”

He looked in the direction that she was pointing and nodded, “Yup! We’re going to need a lot, so let’s go ahead and start filling up the cart.”

“Alright!” The other child picked up an ax with ease and began to walk over to the large trees with black wood. Kohaku stared at the girl with narrowing eyes. Not because she was able to pick up such an ax, though that was beyond impressive since it was made with bone instead of metal. No, it was because he never told her what the trees looked like - none of them did. Rin was definitely a demon slayer, or at least had a connection with them. But why did they not know about her? And why did she not remember? Eventually he had to shrug the ideas away, deciding to tell his sister about it later. He joined Rin in chopping away at the trees until their cart was almost completely full.

“Alright, we’ll fill the rest with some of the herbs around the pond we passed by earlier. It’s best if they’re as fresh as possible so they -”

Rin cut in with a smile, “So they can be combined with the flames and mixed into the water. Let’s go!” She skipped on ahead and left Kohaku in confusion. The child was correct, but how she knew was beyond him just like everything else about her.

\-----

The children rejoined the other two in the blacksmith hut and laid out everything they had collected. The buckets of water now swirled with the herbs they picked and the fire blazed with almost sparkling embers from the same herbs being added to them. It was not magic, but instead a technique that would aid in sealing the bone to the remainder of the weapon.

“Okay, Rin,” Miroku placed a large bag of demon bones in front of her as Sango spoke, “In here is every type of bone we use to forge weapons. You’ll need to choose which ones you use based on how they feel to you. Afterwards, I’ll show you how to do basic blacksmithing. Remember, everything will need to be done by you since you’re creating an extension of yourself.”

Rin began to look through the bag as the other three watched. What she chose would give them an idea of what type of slayer she would become. Some bones were light yet still sturdy and others were heavier but could inflict more damage. Choosing the base of her weapons was a right of passage during the creation process. 

The girl continued to rummage until she chose the skull of a cat demon along with the jaw of a river shark demon. They were strange choices to her onlookers, but something about them spoke to her. She took the carving knife next to her and began to mark what each piece of bone would go to. The teeth of the shark were harder than the talons she originally found and would work well as the foundation for the actual claws. The area surrounding the cat’s eye sockets were the perfect size to squeeze her hand into and make them into the cuffs that would support everything. Rin continued to mark off what parts of the bones would be used where until every piece she needed for the design was ready to be cut.

As she was sectioning off pieces, Sango chose a separate piece of bone to show the girl how to forge a small dagger. The basics of forging were the same with anything and the example would lead to something useful. Like everyone guessed, Rin picked up on the foundations very quickly and produced an identical blade to Sango within the same amount of time. However, her own weapon would take much longer with the forging process likely going well into multiple nights. 

As for the ball and chain, her companions built a new one for her so she could focus on her main weapon instead. It did not have the same level of importance as her main one, thus did not require the same type of bond between weapon and user. Between the bone, metal, and leather working it would take around three days to be complete, but Rin was more than ready to take the time. After all, her dream of having her Lord’s claws was so close she could almost taste it.

\---------

  
  



	16. Papa

**Papa**

“Rin?” Sango lightly shook the girl to wake her up, “Is it done?” She had forged for nearly three days straight.

As the child slowly rose, a soft clank could be heard as she knocked the table beside her. Her eyes squinted close as she smiled and removed the resin cover rag. Underneath sat an almost exact replica of the claws Suikotsu had used, though these appeared much stronger. Sango gave a small laugh, she had actually done it. Rin created a weapon that seemed impossible for her to produce on her own.

“Do they fit correctly?”

“Yup! Rin isn’t very fast at putting them on yet though.”

“That’s alright, just making them is a big step. Speed, as well as accuracy, will come as you train,” Sango held out her hand, “Well, come on! Miroku is cooking breakfast. After eating and showing them your weapon, you should get some actual rest. You did well, Rin, extremely well!”

The two women walked back to the manor right as Miroku finished filling everyone’s bowls. Despite being obviously tired, Rin still contributed her usual excitement to the conversation. Especially since one of her oldest dreams had finally come true.

Kohaku admired the precision that Rin used in shaping the claws, “Have you decided what to call them yet?”

“Not yet. What did the person who made the original call them?”

Sango and Miroku looked at each other as they tried to bring forth the suppressed memories again. The former was the first to answer, “I don’t think he ever actually called them anything, but they looked like the claws of a tiger.”

“Tiger?” Rin slowly sounded out the word as she had never heard it before, “Hmm, tiger. How about Taigakuro then!”

The family nodded, after all, it was her weapon and the duty to choose a name fell upon her. The meal continued with the group sharing stories in addition to talking about their plans for the coming days. With Rin’s weapons ready, she would begin formal training right away. As decided before, a majority of instruction would come from Sango but Kohaku - and even Miroku - would help out sometimes. 

“Oh! Rin, I almost forgot,” Sango reached into her kimono and pulled out a small talisman with a tassel, “Here. Every demon slayer weapon as something like this on it, think of it like a tradition. Kohaku’s is inside the weight of his sickle and mine hangs on the edges of my weapon.”

Rin stared at the jewel in her hand with some confusion; however, her eyes soon grew wide, “...papa…” like last time, her demeanour shifted.

“Papa?”

“Papa...papa had one of these. He gave it to mama as a necklace.” Sango and Kohaku looked at each other, their suspicions were right after all. The girl had a connection to the village and through her direct family at that. 

Sango calmed herself before speaking, “Your papa had one of these? Did he have a weapon too?”

The girl shook her head, “Not a full one like yours. He said it was broken a long time ago…” the stress from the conversation was becoming more prominent on her face. 

Suddenly she hunched down cradling her head and cried, “Papa...mama...brother.”

The family looked at each other before deciding to lay the girl down on her bed. Asking any more questions would only make her cry harder, and they did not want to cause her more pain. The girl did not object to being carried and continued to sob as she curled into a ball under the blanket, still clutching the talisman. Memories of her life before the mean village were beginning to flood her mind.

\----------


	17. Warmth

**_Warmth_ **

_ Warmth. That was one of the things she could vividly remember. It was always so warm back then, even when the temperature dropped below freezing. The town was called Yuki Village because, due to being located in the mountains, it almost always snowed. _

_ “Rin?” A calming voice called her from playing in the powdery snow, “Come inside, dinner is almost ready.” _

_ The family of four sat around the hearth eating some of the freshly caught river fish on a bowl of rice. Despite the constant sun overhead, the land around them was always surrounded by snow and ice. Overtime, the people had adapted so they could still harvest by placing the farms within buildings that allowed light inside. Each day, her father tended to the farms under his command, while her mother stayed home to weave baskets and clothing for not only her family but others nearby. The town was always so peaceful and welcoming; perhaps it was because there was no formal lord or chief. Everyone was able to coexist as one entity instead of being divided into multiple.  _

_ “Papa! Look at what Ro made me!” The little girl held up the small doll her older brother had stitched together. _

_ “That’s wonderful, sweetie! Ro, I didn’t know you could sew. Has mama been teaching you?”  _

  
  


_ His teen blushed as he shook his head, “No, it was Mina from next door. She’s really nice and wanted me to learn something new,” he looked up at his father, “Is that okay?” _

_ The man let out a hearty laugh, “Of course it’s okay! Your mother taught me as well, though it was long before either of you were born. Sometimes I’ll even help her with projects if there’s too many,” Hashira let out another laugh as Ame playfully hit his arm. Rin couldn’t help but smile at the sight, her family eating so happily together was something she never wanted to end. _

_ Dinner finished up with more laughter as the family talked about their adventures from the day. Even when work was tough, there was always something joyful to find within it. With Ro becoming a teenager, his duties in the village had increased and he was learning how to tend to the farms from their father. On especially cold days, Rin would sit with their mother to watch her weave, always in awe with how quickly she did so. She would always tell her daughter that it was something she too would learn one day, but that wasn’t the only thing she needed to know. There was no formal school in the village, so many of life’s lessons came from hands-on experience or observation of those older than you. But, unlike other villages, roles were not gender specific. Similar to how Hashira could sew, Ame could farm. Yuki Village encouraged its children to learn every skill they could so they would not be left in the world ignorant to how basic things worked.  _

_ The days like this continued for years and it was a world that Rin could never imagine going without. And for nearly six years, that was her reality. Then one day, the snow became streaked with ash and all hell broke loose within the village. A group of bandits attacked from the nearby forest during a harsh snowstorm when everyone was huddled together around the fires in their homes. The raid began bloody and the group threatened everyone into serving them if they wanted it to stop. Within a blink of the eye, the village’s morale was in shambles. The head bandit took the largest house he could find and continued to threaten the people if they tried to oppose him.  _

_ The men were made to work in conditions that came close to slavery. Any unmarried women were taken in to become part of the new lord’s harem and those that had been 'soiled' were left to the use of the remaining bandits. The children were left alone, but forced to watch their parents and elders to work themselves to the bone. The once peaceful village was suddenly filled with hatred and fear.  _

_ Almost three months went by and, during that time, the tension between households grew exponentially. There were some that felt the others weren’t working hard enough and it led to a collective punishment. The animosity between the adults began to spread to the young children as well. They had gone from making snow angels together in the town’s square to throwing things if an opposing family's child came near them. One day, the bandit lord had Ame summoned to his newly expanded manor. Rin never learned what actually happened, but she remembered her mother coming home in tears afterwards. That night, she heard her parents frantically whispering until they finally came over to wake her and Ro. _

_ “Come quickly. Grab as much as you can and run to the forest.” _

_ The family held sacks over their shoulders as they ran through the night. Another town was a ways away but they had to make it there before the bandit lords realized they were gone. Rin was more confused than anything, why did they suddenly decide to run away. All she picked up from the whispering was her brother and father’s names, and how her mother had tears in her eyes again as she said them. Running in the forest was hard enough during the day, but at night, with the few belongings they had, made it so much worse. Despite the confusion, one thing was very clear, the warmth of that home was gone. _

_ \---------- _


	18. Sparring

**Sparring**

Rin sat up drenched in sweat, the trauma of her past fresh in her mind. The slayers wanted to know where she was from, and she finally remembered some of it.

“Yuki Village?” The trio looked at each other before Sango replied, “I’ve never heard of it. You said it was in the mountains right?”

“That’s right. Rin was born there but, after the bandits took over, we had to move somewhere new,” she brought her knees to her chest, “But Rin doesn’t remember where.”

“Don’t force yourself! One day you’ll remember but it does not need to be today, nor tomorrow,” Kohaku wrapped an arm around the girl to comfort her. He knew firsthand what it was like to tap into memories you suppressed. 

After eating, the family had Rin go lay back down before they began training. No matter how much she wanted to jump into using her new weapons, her mind needed rest. Waiting until the evening, or even tomorrow, to start was not a problem. The child would be too distraught to pay attention right now anyway; understandable having just heard a piece of her past.

“Hashira, hmm, that name seems so familiar,” Sango walked outside to join her husband and brother as she was thinking.

“I don’t think I ever met him, so maybe he left when I was really young?” Kohaku also racked his brain for some sort of memory of the name.

“Ah!” Sango slammed her fist on her palm, “You weren’t born yet when it happened. I think I was maybe three or four. Father went on a mission with some of the other men to go slay a demon in the mountains and Hashira was with them.”

Miroku and Kohaku sat down on the manor’s porch with Sango as she continued to recount what her father had told her. Hashira was one of the strongest slayers in the village at the time, but ended up getting lost when a blizzard hit during a mission. The slayers searched for him for days before finally having to give up and return to the village fortress without him. His loss shook the entire community and they mourned for months, praying that he had found safety somewhere. 

Sango gave a small smile when she finished telling the rest of what she knew, “I wish I could tell them that they were right. He found not only safety but love as well.”

\-----

Rin did not join the family again until late into the evening. Her head wasn’t completely clear but it was significantly better compared to when she first woke up. Having missed lunch, she was physically drained, but the family had waited for her before eating dinner.

“How are you feeling?” Kohaku was the first to speak to the girl when she joined them by the hearth.

“Rin is okay, sorry for worrying you.”

“It’s no problem!” Miroku gave his usual peppy smile, “We’re just glad you’re feeling better.”

Rin also smiled at their words, but it was empty. The sadness she felt was still brewing inside her, but it was calm for now. When this happened, she could swear there was a small voice in her head saying “there there, child” or “it’s okay”, but she wasn’t sure whose voice it was. It felt familiar but what type of feeling it was was hard to place. Rin shook the thoughts away, it didn’t matter. Starting today she would be on the way to becoming a full slayer. And, once that was accomplished, she would move on to her real goal - finding Sesshōmaru. It had been nearly a year since he had left her, but it did not feel like it had been that long. No, it felt longer. For the first six months, she was stuck in the village with Kaede, forced to live amongst humans. Then, for two months she wandered alone, trying to track Sesshōmaru on her own. That was when the Black Widow gained control of her will. Rin shuddered at the thought of those times. Having them controlling her was terrifying with many of the memories still hazy. But now, she was about two weeks into learning the arts of being a slayer. Sango said she had until about summer to become fully trained, which sounded impossible, yet the woman was confident that she could do it. Rin looked up at the sky as the final rays of the sun dwindled, wondering what Sesshōmaru had been during all this time. Did he really just abandon her? Forget that she ever existed? No, Rin shook her head once more, it couldn’t be possible. She had been with him for so long and had learned so much about him. One of the most interesting things being just how passionate he could be. Why he never showed his emotions was confusing, but Rin always knew the truth about what he was feeling.

“Rin!” Kohaku snuck up behind her causing her to jump, “Ah, sorry about that,” he rocked back and forth on his feet, “I know it’s late, but how about sparring with me? I heard from Shippō that you’re pretty good for never being trained.”

“Sure! Rin hasn’t sparred in so long.”

The children took their places across from each other and planted their feet into the ground to prepare. Sango and Miroku sat on the porch to watch them. Shippō mentioned how the girl was much stronger and faster than she looked, so they had encouraged Kohaku to test her skills. The two children locked eyes, but neither moved first. The silence was heavy and couldn’t be cut with a knife if you tried. For Kohaku, it was due to him studying her. But for Rin? None of them knew.

Suddenly the girl sprinted forward and appeared behind Kohaku. In less than a minute she had rendered the trained slayer to the ground before he was even able to move. The couple’s eyes nearly doubled in size at what they saw; or rather, what they didn’t see. Rin had moved so quickly that it was borderline unhuman. That’s when the two slowly turned towards each other. This is what the others back in the village were talking about. Rin wasn’t behaving like a ten-year-old should; it was like she had decades of experience. Sango and Miroku looked at each other a bit longer before laughing. The mere thought of Rin being older than she really was was too insane to even entertain. Obviously it was because she lived with Sesshōmaru and learned how he moved through the world. Obviously. Like Rin did earlier, they shook the thoughts out of their heads. The only way that would even work was if she wasn’t a human. But if she weren’t, Inuyasha and Shippō would have said something long ago. Right?

\----------

Hi everyone! When I was rereading through everything from the past eight years, I realized there were some time inconsistencies, so here they are. Since the story has started, almost one year has passed.

Months 1-6 = Rin is staying in Kaede’s Village

Months 7-9 = Rin has run away and is living in the wild on her own until the Black Widow found her. Winter had just started.

Month 10 (present day) = Rin is living with Sango and co.

  
  



	19. Weapon

**Weapon**

Rematch after rematch, Rin continued to take Kohaku down in a matter of minutes. And, just like when she was against Shippō, her opponent was out of breath far earlier than she was. The girl didn’t just move fast, each strike she gave had immense power behind it. If this was what she was like when just sparring, the family was slightly terrified to see what she was like in a real battle.

Kohaku finally conceded and collapsed to the ground, “Wow, Rin, you’re really good! Where did you learn that from?”

“Sesshōmaru-sama!” Rin stopped and cocked her head to the side, “Hmm, and papa and mama too!”

“Your mother was a fighter? Was she a demon slayer too?” Miroku raised an eyebrow as he looked over to his wife.

“Rin doesn’t think so. No, Rin thinks mama already knew how to fight before she met papa.”

“I see, well,” Sango clapped her hands together, “There’s only one thing left to do before bed. You may have been able to best Kohaku, but what about me?”

“Fight...you?” Again Rin leaned her head to the side, “Okay!”

“Miroku, give me a couple of those training sticks,” the monk threw them towards her and she passed one to Rin, “You’re good with hand-to-hand techniques, but what about a weapon?”

Rin looked down at the stick. It wasn’t very big and was thin enough that it wouldn’t cause the target a lot of damage. Holding it in front of her at first felt extremely unnatural; but slowly she turned it to the side until it was at an odd angle.

“Rin is ready!”

Sango couldn’t help but smirk. The child might be good with her fists, but she was unable to hold a sparring stick correctly. The angle she had would leave crucial parts of her body exposed just long enough for a strike to be dealt before she could defend. Yet, when the demonstration of Rin’s speed came back to her mind, Sango had second thoughts. Like Kohaku did before, the woman narrowed her eyes to continue studying the ten year old. Specifically, her movements as she found a comfortable position. There was something odd about them, as if they were both highly trained but at the same time not. 

“Alright, Rin, take it nice and easy. When sparring with these training staffs, we don’t hit each other. Instead we use restraint to make very close contact without actually causing impact. Do you understand?”

The child gripped her staff a little tighter, “Yes.”

Now it was Kohaku’s turn to watch his big sister fight. She was of course stronger than him, but he couldn’t help but worry that Rin might hit her by accident. The power that child had with just her fists would likely be amplified now that she had something in her hands. However, his worries were dispelled as Sango moved easier than Rin and blocked every attack the girl tried to do. It took a few minutes, but eventually the woman was able to pin her to the ground in defeat.

“Good job, Rin! You held your own really well!” Sango congratulated the girl as she helped her stand up.

“Thank you!” Her smile beamed, “Does this mean Rin can use Rin’s weapons now?”

“Hmm, get some rest and we’ll see how you feel in the morning.”

\-----

The night passed peacefully for the group and they woke up at the crack of dawn the next morning. After a light breakfast, everyone gathered around the table and discussed what they would do today. Sango immediately said she would be spending the day with Rin, which left Miroku and Kohaku on their own. In the end, they decided to go to the next town on Kirara to see if there were any slayer/spiritual requests available. As the men flew away, Sango turned to her pupil.

“Alright Rin, let’s see what you can do,” she handed the child a staff again, “Not with your weapons just yet. Let’s work on your fighting stance.”

Rin sighed before finally agreeing; she was just so excited to finally use her claws. Alas, she remembered that Sango made her swear to listen to all instructions, no matter how much she disliked them. 

And so, the first full day of training began. It was filled with rotations between workouts, stance practice, and knowledge of how the battlefield worked for slayers. Rin had never gone to a proper school before, but she imagined that this is what it must be like. Sango wasn’t a strict teacher on the surface, but she made it her goal to nitpick at every action the girl did. There wasn’t much time before she would be unable to train Rin anymore, so she needed to learn as quickly as possible. As annoying as it was at first to have the young girl tagalong with them, Sango was warming up to knowing that her husband and brother would not be left alone in the battlefield. 

\-----

The woman tapped the back of the girl’s knees with her staff, “Stop standing back on your knees, it leaves you vulnerable to attacks from behind. If an enemy causes you to collapse from that way, it will be much harder to recover.”

For the first time in a while, Rin was out of breath, “Okay, Rin understands,” she repositioned herself again, “How’s this?”

“Great! Notice how your center of balance is more even now. No matter how you fight, you want to always maintain that feeling. The balance is where you are the strongest,” Sango lowered her staff, “Alright, good work today. I bet you’re tired.”

Rin began to nod but stopped, “Can Rin try the weapons now?”

Sango shook her head with slight surprise, “It’s only your first day of training. It’s a bit too soon to handle something like that yet.”

“Please?” she gave the classic puppy eyed look, “Just once!”

Sango sighed before leading the girl to the chest that held her new weapons, “Alright, just once. Let’s see what you can do.”

Rin nearly squealed from joy as she retrieved her Taigakuro from the box. Having never been used, the claws themselves were so sharp it was almost like they could cut you by just looking at them. As she slowly strapped them onto her wrists, Rin felt the bulkiness of the bones begin to weigh her arms down. It was to be expected, after all, it had only been a day of strength training. Nevertheless, she put the claws on and began to flex them to test how well they were connected to each other. Each claw was not fully functional on their own, but they were still separate due to each one having a connecting piece to the base. As Rin moved her fingers, the claws bent in the same directions. Sango watched from the side as the girl had been putting on her beloved weapon. She had to admit that Rin did an unbelievably great job at designing them and actually make them function. But none of that precision mattered if the child was unable to actually use them. Though she was doubtful the attempt would be successful, Sango still set up a training dummy for Rin to test her skills on. 

“Alright, Rin, let’s see what you can do. Try to slash the target right in the center with your left claw, then do the same with your right.”

Rin nodded as she began to approach the hay stuff cloth person. There was a large red target painted on its stomach in addition to smaller ones on its limbs and forehead. The cloth wasn’t very thick but it was far from thin, meaning that any strike she made could still leave marks but not cause excessive damage. The girl held up her claws as she studied the object. Her left hand was not dominant, so learning the strike with it would be harder than her right hand. Rin closed her eyes as she continued to move, remembering what Sango had said before about keeping her balance at all times. Then, her eyes shot open as she brought down her hand. The Taigakuro was bulky and barely scratched the dummy, but it left marks nonetheless. She then did the same with her right claws, making a few more marks than before. As she continued to alternate between the two, her speed began to pick up. Though she wasn’t as fast as the others, she was picking up faster than they expected.

\----------


	20. Countdown

**Countdown**

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months as Rin trained. Eventually she was able to hold the claws as if they were part of her hand and became much easier to control. As for her chain, she picked up on it almost immediately, only needing to improve slightly upon her accuracy. Overall, Sango’s hunch was right, Rin’s training was going faster than it would for someone else.

“Alright, Rin. Let’s head back inside for a quick rest before the boys get back.”

“They’ve been going on missions a lot lately,” Rin looked down, “Will Rin be able to join them soon?”

Sango thought about the girl’s request as it was the first time she had ever made one, “It depends on the job. I don’t want to have you take on one that is too dangerous yet.”

“But isn’t Rin ready?”

“Almost! And…” Sango took a deep breath, “And that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. You remember what I said when we first started right? That you needed to be ready by summer? Well, I never told you why.”

Rin giggled, “Rin already knows!” Sango’s eyes grew wide, “You started walking funny a little while ago. You also changed your outfits to something looser. And, most of all, you stopped actually fighting with Rin, instead only using the training dummies.”

Sango blinked in astonishment as the girl spoke, “Well, yes, you’re right! Do you know if the other two know yet?”

“Know what?” Kohaku slid off of Kirara’s back as the two men arrived back to Yōkai Taiya Village, “Is something wrong?”

“Oh, we’re just talking about how Sango is -” Sango gave a quick jab to the girl’s side, “How Sango is thinking that it’s time for Rin to join you!” The woman face palmed, of course that would be the excuse she would use.

“Really? Well, it has been over two months, so maybe it will be okay,” Miroku also jumped off of Kirara with the spoils from their last mission in tow. There wasn’t much, but it would still give the group some more food for a while. 

“Alright! Well, we have a small request that we plan on doing tomorrow, so get some sleep before then. We’ll be heading out just after the sun comes up,” Kohaku turned to Sango, “Are you going to come too, Sis?”

The woman quickly waved her hands in front of her, “Oh no no. Someone needs to stay behind to protect the village. Especially since people might be realizing that it’s being used again.

“Sounds good. Let’s get cleaned up and eat before heading to bed. That last mission was definitely dirtier than I expected,” Miroku grabbed Kohaku as he walked towards the bathroom to rinse their hands off.

Kohaku looked over at his brother law, “Sis is still acting really weird. She used to never want to miss a request.”

“Shhh, quiet. But yea, you’re right. Something is definitely up with her lately. I just don’t know what.”

Rin could hear the two from the other room and couldn’t help but smile. How had they not caught on yet? She wanted to tell them but Sango seemed insistent on them figuring it out on their own. The summer deadline made sense now, after all, she wouldn’t be able to fight once she was showing. Not only would it slow her down, but it would make her an easier target. Naturally, the baby’s health and safety was most important. Even at only eleven, Rin couldn’t help but wonder if she would become a mother one day. She gave a small smile, there was only one person she wanted to be with. However, her smile soon fell. That one person was the reason why she was sitting here in the first place. Maybe one day she would find him and be able to tell him how much she loved him. But, a year had passed and there was no word about the inu daiyōkai and his whereabouts. Maybe during the mission she would be able to find out more. It was hard to believe that Sesshōmaru could leave the world without a trace; someone out there had to know about him and what he was up to. Rin sighed, there were times where Sesshōmaru was all she could think about because of how much she preferred to be with demons.

Her dreams that night were filled with the adventures she had had over the years with her demon companions. Something about them made her feel much warmer than she did with the slayers. There was nothing wrong with them, and their village had become her home too, but her heart still yearned for sleeping beside a fire leaning against A-Un instead of in a bed. However, no matter how peaceful those dreams seemed, they would always be ruined by the memory of how Sesshōmaru had left her behind with Kaede. Dropped her there like she was meaningless and said nothing when he did so. 

\-----

“Good morning,” Rin yawned as she finished folding her futon and putting it away with the others.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Kohaku laughed at how the girl’s hair was still stuck to her face, “I’m guessing you slept well last night?”

“Huh? Oh!” she moved the hair from her cheeks, “Rin thinks so. Are we about to leave?”

“As soon as Miroku finishes packing some food for us. This mission shouldn’t take very long, but food is always good to have on hand just in case.”

Rin looked around the room, “Where’s Sango?”

“She’s out on the porch with Kirara,” Miroku called out from the cooking area, “Could you go tell her to come inside?”

Rin nodded as she got up and walked outside to where Sango was sitting. She was lost in thought as she petted Kirara in her lap, occasionally placing her hand on her stomach. Rin smiled again at the thought of how fun it would be to have a baby in the house. She never got to have a younger sibling, so the idea was exciting. The girl then looked down with sadness, Sango’s child wasn’t going to actually be her sibling. There was also no guarantee that she would even get to spend time with them. Even after all this time, Rin could tell that the family was still weary of her presence.

“Oh! Sorry, Rin, I didn’t see you there.”

The girl also came back from her daze, “Sorry to startle you. Miroku wanted me to ask you to come inside.”

“Alright, here I come,” as the woman stood up she slightly stumbled. However, Rin quickly moved to steady her, “Thank you. That’s been happening a bit more often lately,” she laughed, “It’s getting harder to stand up very fast as each day passes.”

“That’s okay. Rin will be here to help! What about the other two? Have you thought of a way to tell them yet?”

Sango let out a small sigh, “Not yet. I didn’t think it would take them this long to figure it out; but apparently they’re more dense than I originally thought.”

The two of them laughed as they headed inside. Miroku set the table with a simple breakfast to help jump start their day. Next to the weapons that leaned against the wall, there were small pouches with a few things to eat in case they got hungry while out. While eating, Kohaku and Miroku kept looking at each other, trying to convince the other to ask first. Finally, it was Miroku who took up the task.

“Say, Sango,” the woman turned to her husband with curiosity, “I was just wondering how you’ve been feeling. You’re still acting a little strange,” the monk prepared himself to be hit for being so blunt, but he was going insane from not knowing what was wrong. 

The woman only sighed, they really were that dense, “I’m pregnant.”

Kohaku jumped up as Miroku sat there confused. Meanwhile Rin only let out a laugh, “Rin didn’t expect you to just tell them outright!”

Sango gave a small sigh, “Honestly, you would think they would have figured out by now. So I just gave up.”

Slowly reality hit Miroku as his wife’s words finally sank in, “Preg...pregnant? You’re with a child?” He jumped up, “You’re having my child!”

Sango joined in with Rin’s laughter, “Well I would hope so, you’re my husband after all,” she touched her finger to her cheek, “Actually, thinking back, wasn’t that how you proposed to me?”

Miroku waved his hands in front of his body in embarrassment, though she was most certainly telling the truth, “No...I mean...okay maybe yes I did,” The rest of the group began to laugh uncontrollably as he trailed off.

“Oh yea, I forgot to ask you, but how long have you known?”

Sango turned to Rin as she asked, “Hmm, well, right when we started heading to the village.” The other three put their hands to their faces in shock, “Yup! I should be due around the beginning of summer.”

As reality had finally sunk in for everyone, they began to celebrate how a new member would be arriving in four months. Miroku had never dealt with babies, beyond that incident with the demon some years prior. For Sango, the only experience she had was with Kohaku. As for the children themselves, they had none. The group looked at each other and grimaced, there was no way they could do this on their own. The smartest course of action would be to go back to Kaede’s village. Though Rin hated the idea of being stuck there, she knew it would be for the best of the child. And so, the four of them agreed that they should head back there no later than three months from now.

Everyone looked at Rin as Sango spoke, “Three months, that’s how long you’ll have to be almost completely trained. Think you can do it?”

Rin nodded as she walked over to grab her weapons, “Rin will. So let’s go!”

\----------


	21. Mission

**Mission**

“Okay, Rin, you ready?”

“Ready!”

“Hang on tight then!” Kohaku gave Kirara a light pat to begin flying the children to the request site. Having just found out that his wife was pregnant, Miroku stayed behind to gush over baby related things.

“So what type of mission is it?”

“Oh, it’s a quick one. There’s a snake demon destroying some of the farmland outside a town a little ways away - maybe a few hours on Kirara. The notice said that it wasn’t very big, but it is still a demon and the help of a slayer was preferred.”

“Oh...I see,” Rin looked down with a bit of sadness. Even though it was only her first official mission, she had a slight hope that it would be something more daring.

“Hey, don’t worry. Everything goes well on this one, and I’m sure you’ll be right back out there with us going forward. After all, one of the best ways to finish training a slayer is to have them jump in head first!”

As the children flew along, they talked about things they had experienced. No matter how much he had heard from the girl, Kohaku still couldn’t believe the stories that Rin had. Life with demons was far beyond what he could imagine - and he had traveled with the very ones she spoke of for a short while. Sesshōmaru more than deserved the title as one of the strongest demons in the land, but he never talked much about it. Rin, however, had multiple stories that went against the Sesshōmaru he had been around.

“HE can laugh?” Kohaku was genuinely shocked.

“Yup! Sesshōmaru-sama is very nice and has a lot more emotions than everyone thinks. He just doesn’t show them around others - and especially not humans,” Rin couldn’t help but smile at the memories of her time with him, even if they did still cause a tinge of pain.

Kohaku took a deep breath before bringing up the elephant in the room, “Hey, Rin...I know this might come off rude, but why _did_ Sesshōmaru keep you around?” Rin looked at him with confusion, “Well, like you said, he hates humans…”

“To be honest, Rin doesn’t know. Sometimes Sesshōmaru-sama would look at Rin as if he was studying Rin, but...Rin never knew why.”

Kohaku looked forward again to make sure Kirara was going in the right direction, though it was also to hide the expression on his face. What Rin said didn’t make sense. The only reason Sesshōmaru had kept him around was because he could be used as bait for Naraku. But Rin? She couldn’t fight like the others in the group could. Rin certainly wasn’t weak, but, at the end of the day, she was a liability. Yet, no matter what, Sesshōmaru would lay down his life for her in a heartbeat. Even Kohaku could tell that he was drawn to the girl in some way, he just never learned why before leaving them. The boy’s thoughts flashed back to what all of his family had had on their minds recently. The Rin he had met and traveled with was nothing like the one who sat behind him. It wasn’t just her actions or actual strength; but instead it was her entire demeanor. When he first met Rin, she was somehow shy but outgoing, secretive but open, quiet but loud. She was an enigma. But, the thing he found the most bizarre was one thing that no one else seemed to address; she had stopped using honorifics for everyone but her beloved demons. Sure, it wasn’t that big of a deal, but it was definitely strange when compared to Rin he had met not too long ago. He looked back at the girl who was humming to herself as they sped over the forest. She really was very cute despite how odd she was. Kohaku blushed a little as he turned away, now was not the time to be thinking about that of all things. They had a mission in front of them. But, he did remember how he always thought that when he traveled with her group back then. Something about Rin was so interesting yet continued to be so mysterious. It could draw anyone in if they got to know her. 

“Hey Kohaku?” The boy gave a quicker than normal yes, “I was wondering, do you like being a slayer?”

“I think so, but honestly, it’s all I’ve ever known. Sometimes I think about what it might be like to be an actual doctor, not just a quick medic on the field. But, at the end of the day, I can’t say I hate doing what I do. It can be scary, but it also can be a lot of fun!” 

The girl nodded in response as she looked back behind them at the fading forest line. Meanwhile, Kohaku turned back forward with an alarmed look on his face. Maybe he was crazy, but he could have sworn that she said “ I “ and not “Rin”. In the few years he had known her, Rin had never used that word nor “me” to describe herself. It had always been “Rin”. He shrugged his shoulders and wrote it off as nothing. After all, maybe living with his family was changing the way she spoke.

Looking back, Kohaku regretted not taking that small action more seriously.

\-----

“Alright, let’s do this!”

"Are you the slayers? You're just a couple kids," the village elder looked at the two in confusion.

Kohaku resisted the immense urge to sigh, it was like this when he went on solo missions too, "Yes, sir, we are. Can you tell us more and point us in the direction of the affected fields?"

The elder was still confused but pointed to the left where the fields just began to touch the forest, "Everyone has evacuated the area because of the demon, but…" he slowly trailed off.

"We'll try to make sure no further damage happens," the man looked at Rin in shock as she knew exactly what he was going to say.

As the two children waved goodbye to the village after their briefing, those outside all looked at them with curiosity. They could tell the boy was highly trained, but there was something off about the girl - perhaps this was her first time?

\-----

The two walked towards the fields as Kohaku explained to Rin how missions like this were usually handled. Like the elder was saying, trying to reduce further damage, especially to homes, was always optimal. However, all their customers understood that that wasn't always possible. But, based on the size of the demon they were describing, it shouldn't be too difficult.

"Kohaku? What are the chances of this demon having moved here from far away?"

"It depends on what type it is, but it's definitely possible. Why?"

"Before Rin was left at Kaede's village, Rin was attacked by a snake demon that made illusions."

"Illusions?" Kohaku racked his brain for a demon like that, "I think I've battled a few of those before, but it was never a snake. Good to know though!”

\-----

“Over there!” Kohaku pointed towards one of the fields where the earth was seemingly moving on it’s own. It was close to the woods, but looked like it was heading in the direction of the village. He readied his weapon and looked over to Rin, signaling her to do the same. The girl fumbled slightly as she slipped the claws on. Even though they were still kind of heavy, she was able to use them quite well during training. But this wasn’t training, it was the real world and her capabilities were finally going to be tested. She nodded to her partner when everything was on and then began to approach the field with him while on guard. Her heart was racing but she couldn’t tell if it was from fear, anticipation, excitement, or a combination of the three. Hopefully it really was as simple as Kohaku had said, and not the demon from a year ago coming back to haunt her. _“It’s alright, child.”_ There that voice was again, something that always found its way into her thoughts when she was on edge. 

“Rin, you stay here, I’m going to try and sneak up behind it,” The moment he finished speaking, Kohaku jumped up into a nearby tree. His partner couldn’t help but look at him in amazement as he hopped along the branches. She could do some of the acrobatics, but nowhere near his level; and especially not when in full armor..

She slowly looked around, taking in her surroundings and trying to feel where the demon was - specifically its head. The slayers had taught her how they track their prey, but Rin was certain her method would prove more effective. She took a deep breath and made a sharp 90 degree turn and seemed to be met by nothing but clear land. Yet, her eyes still narrowed as she reached for her chain, _“just a little further now.”_ Suddenly the demon burst through the ground lunging for her, but it was too slow. The moment she felt the ground tremble, Rin had her chain ready to throw. Though her aim wasn’t perfect, it had managed to grab hold of the snake by its neck. Immediately she lifted her other hand to scratch at its head and managed to cause a little damage as it began to screech. However, the cry did not last long as Kohaku swooped in to chop the snake demon’s head off. The two children gave each other a high five for the job going so well. Almost too well. 

\-----

Rin was the first to notice what was happening, so the mirage quickly melted away for her. They hadn’t defeated the snake at all; no, instead they had been captured. However, unlike last time, Rin was not going to sit there crying out for help. It was her turn to save herself - and Kohaku. She looked over trying to check on her partner, but the demon’s grip got stronger before she could. 

“My my, what do we have here? He’s new, but you?” Each of the snake demon’s words dripped like poison as it leaned in to smell her, “ You smell familiar.” 

Almost instinctively, Rin called out to Sesshōmaru but quickly caught herself. Even if he did come, she didn’t want his help. Instead, the girl took as deep of a breath as she could manage and stretched her arms out until her claws made contact with something besides themselves. Whatever they were touching was tough, but the pressure she applied seemed to warrant some sort of reflex from it. 

“Ouch! What was that?” The demon glared at her Rin’s hands, “Claws? Oh no, those won’t do.”

As the snake squeezed her harder, Rin held onto her Taigakuro just as hard. She had put too much energy and sweat into creating them and was not about to let them go to some lowly demon. Yet, try as she might, the grip was cutting blood off from her arms, and the weapon began to slip away. As a last resort, Rin bit the demon with all her might; and, amazingly enough, it let go. Though it wasn’t by much, the girl was able to wiggle her way through one of the loosened coils. She looked around and found Kohaku laying in a nest that likely belonged to the demon that captured them. Rin quickly turned back towards the beast as it continued to wreath in pain. All she did was bite it, so why was it acting like there was massive damage caused? She shrugged, this demon was the one who attacked her a year ago, the one who caused her to be separated from her lord. Rin’s eyes began to flare up like they had before and she spun the chain above her head while closing in. _It’s this thing’s fault why I’m not with Sesshōmaru anymore. This scum of the earth demon is why I’m here._ The thoughts in her head only fueled the flames in her heart and, despite being out of character, they felt right to have.

Intense rage began to take over and she moved forward with speed and precision that would make her mentor cry with happiness - or out of fear. Rin swung the chain to fling herself onto the demon’s head as it continued to squirm in pain. _One slash, two slashes, three slashes, four,_ the child was counting aloud as each strike clawed deeper and deeper into the beast until it could no longer even stay up. It was obviously beyond any point of healing, but that didn’t stop Rin from continuing what was becoming an outright slaughter of the monster. She wanted to be sure the demon wasn't coming back again. As one final blow, she tightened her grip on the chain until it snapped the snake demon’s head off.

  
  


Kohaku came to as the demon’s head rolled to the ground and in his daze he caught the strangest glimpse of Rin. It looked like her, but it didn’t feel right. The power that was radiating off her was stronger than he had ever felt. But before he could think about it anymore, the dizziness took back over. 

\-----

When he finally became coherent, he was laying on Kirara outside the village. Rin came jogging back to them with their pay in a sack that was almost too large for her to carry.

“What happened!” Kohaku sat up quicker than he should have but didn’t care. Last he remembered, they were still in the fields trying to lure the demon out.

Rin smiled and giggled as she climbed onto Kirara as well, “We defeated the demon! Come on, Kirara, let’s go home.”

The boy was still confused on what had happened as well as what was happening, but one thing caught his eye. When the sunlight hit just right, he could have sworn her hair had the slightest tint of blue.

\---------


End file.
